The treatment of mesothelioma is done using various options all of which aim at the removing or suppressing of the malignant mesotheloima cells. Modern improvements have occurred in the treatment of the disease. These have mainly been in prognosis into newer chemotherapies coupled by multimodality treatments. It is important to note that treatment of the malignant cells at an early stage is essential since this enhances better prognosis. However, cure for this cancer is usually rare. The malignant cells have certain clinical behaviors which affects the malignancy. These factors range from the continuous mesothelial surface which favors local metastasis through exfoliated cells, invasion of other cells hence the random growth within the underlying tissues and the period between exposure to asbestos and disease development. There are three important factors to be considered in the disease prognosis which include:the age of the patient, health status,and the histological subtype. The epithelioid responds better to treatment and has a higher survival rate as opposed to the sarcomatoid histology.

The treatment options present include:

Surgery

This is mainly used where mesothelial cancerous cells are present. They may lead to the formation of growth which are surgically removed through excision. It is not effective if used alone but can be combined with other procedures for example chemotherapy in order to improve the median survival rate. The most common procedure in operation is pleurectomy which involves the removal of the chest's lining. Extrapleural pneumonectomy is the lesser common where the lungs, chest lining, pericardium and the hemi-diaphragm are removed.

Radiation

It is given before the operation as a consolidative treatment. This is often to patients who can withstand radical surgery and have localized disease. Radiation therapy is conducted hand to hand with chemotherapy and when done after surgery may lead to an extended life expectancy in different patients of up to 5 years. It is commonly applied to the chest drain insertion area to restrict track tumor growth along the chest wall. This is a curative approach an dis now commonly used in treatment.

Immunotherapy

This treatment option has yielded mixed results in the cure of mesothelioma. Some of the cells are susceptible to in vitro lysis of LAK cells but patients under this treatment have had massive side effects. Therapy through the use of interferon alpha are more encouraging since it has led to 50% tumor mass reduction in 20% of the patients with few side effects.

Heated Intraoperative Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy

Here, the surgeon removes much of the tumor and then a chemotherapy agent is directly applied. This agent is heated at temperatures of 40 and 80 0c in the abdomen and is perfused for between 1 and 2 hours then drained. Heating increases the drug penetration into tissues and also destroys the malignant cells more than the normal cells. This procedure allows one to administer high drug concentrations into the affected surfaces.

Multimodality Therapy

This technique was developed on the need to reduce the bulk of the tumor and hence improve survival of the patient. Both extrapleural pneumonectomy and pleurectomy are used and the indications of their use are unique. Size of the tumor influences the choice of operation. In the former, the underlying lung is spared and is performed on patients within the early stage. Here the intention are to remove the whole tumor as opposed to extrapleural pneumonectomy which is more extensive. It is performed on patients whose tumors are more developed and can not tolerate pneumonectomy.

By Dave Berger

Mesothelioma is a unique and a rare form of cancer. It is commonly referred to as malignant mesothelioma. It usually develops from the mesothelium, which is a protective lining covering most of the internal body organs. These malignant cells believed to cause Mesothelioma are abundantly found in the sac and linings of the chest. This is referred to as the pleural mesothelioma because it occurs in the chest area. It may also occur in the abdomen also referred to as the peritoneum. This version of mesothelioma is much less common and is known as the peritoneal mesothelioma.

The latter cells may also affect the pericardium leading to the most rare form of mesothelioma known as the pericardial mesothelioma. In this case, the sac surrounding the heart is usually affected.

Mesothelioma cells are usually of two types namely epithelial and sarcomatoid. Both types of cells can be present in the body but this is usually not common. Sarcomatoid cells are rare and compute to only 15% of the cases usually reported. It usually occurs as a result of poor prognosis.

What causes mesothelioma has been a puzzle but this has been unlocked by technological innovations and continued research. Rarely does mesothelioma originate from benign and non-malignant cells.

Intake of asbestos through breathing has been the main cause of mesothelioma. A high percentage of people with malignant mesothelioma have been involved in jobs where they inhaled asbestos. Exposure to the dust and fiber originating from asbestos has been highly associated with the disease. This is common with workers over the age of 40 years who have had a long duration of exposure to the latter conditions.

Asbestos has been used as a common insulator although its use has been on the decline after these revelations. Men have been the mainly affected since they work in hard labor and this is synonymous with industrial and chemical remnants having asbestos. Many people in their household environments have also suffered from the exposure of asbestos within their localities. This is usually dangerous since most or these people affected have no knowledge of this happening.

Exposure to asbestos can also be through washing the clothes in most cases of a family member who has worked with asbestos. This puts the one at the risk of catching or developing mesothelioma. Inhaling the constituents of asbestos mentioned above leads to some of them reaching the air sacs hence penetrating into the pleural lining. Environmental exposure may lead to swallowing of the fibres. If swallowed, they reach the abdominal cavity contributing to peritoneal mesothelioma. These fibers and dust harm the mesothelial cells eventually causing mesothelioma.

Contrary to the belief that most people have that smoking may induce the latter disease, it has been noted that there is virtually no association between mesothelioma and smoking. However, smoking as a habit has the effect of increasing greatly the risk of other asbestos induced cancers. Zeolite, a chemical related to asbestos has also been seen to cause incidences of mesothelioma upon exposure to body cells. Lastly, exposure to specific types of radiation has also been known to cause mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a devastating cancer that could have been avoided in most cases. To learn more about the disease, its causes and your legal rights, please go to Mesothelioma Litigation Lawyers

By Audrey M. Hardy